As For Me and My House We Will Use a Retinol

I want to start writing more about beauty products. I am not a beauty product junkie but this year I have been increasing my skin care routine and I think it would be something you all would enjoy reading about. I think it’s important to remember that I am not a aesthetician or a makeup artist. I will share my personal experiences and research I have done but I am not a professional and am not an expert.

I am admittedly not good at a nightly skin care routine. I will flat-out tell you it is one of the things I am the laziest about in my life. I am also one of those people who tries things one time and wants to see results. Like weight loss, we all know that when it comes to skin care nothing happens overnight.

How it Started.

I decided about 6 months ago rather than trying different products I was going to stick with one routine for 3 months before adding or changing anything. This was to get a baseline for how my skin looked with one set of products. I chose to go with Julep Beauty. I have been using Julep products for about 5 years. I started getting their Maven boxes when they were just doing nail polish. Now that they have transitioned to makeup and skin care they are a full service beauty supplier. I love their Korean Skin care.

I of course didn’t see any big changes immediately other than just feeling fresh daily. I was removing my makeup each night and making sure to wash and moisturize my face. I felt a difference even when I wasn’t seeing one. Within a month I did begin to notice an overall more plump look to my skin and the texture seemed better too. At a visit with my aesthetician she mentioned how good my skin texture looked. She encouraged me to continue what I was doing with no big changes.

Side Note! Reasons I love my aesthetician! She never pushes products on me. She always has a helpful suggestion and a sample but she does not make me feel like her skin care is the only skin care that will work. You should go see her. Mimi’s Laser Alternatives.

3 Months Later.

After my three months were up I started adding a few products. One at a time so I could see how they worked for me and my skin wouldn’t get overloaded. Things I have changed: my face wash, vitamin c serum and I added a retinol.

I went through a list of several retinol brands before choosing one. Some of them can be rather pricy so I really wanted to get one I was going to be happy with and wasn’t too harsh. I do tend to be slightly dry and have some sensitive areas so I also wanted a retinol that someone I knew had personally used.

Insert my product junkie mom BFF Amanda. I sent her the list I was researching and asked what she thought. She immediately responded that I should try The Ordinary.

I ordered the Granactive Retnoid 2% Emulsion serum. Definitely a more affordable retinol, the price was under $20 with shipping and everything. This particular retinol is to be used at night after washing your face but before any heavy moisturizers. The instructions were easy to follow and I noted the necessity of having a sunscreen on daily to protect my skin.

I also read on how to use my vitamin c serum so it wasn’t counteracting the retinol or aggravating my skin. This article was a great help. Rule of thumb… retinol at night, acids in the morning.

My Thoughts.

I am starting to see subtle differences. I did go through a light shedding phase in the first few weeks. I needed to wash my face each morning and lightly scrub with a warm wash cloth. This helped some with my makeup laying correctly even with my changing skin. I am still experiencing a light amount of peeling in a few areas but for the most part that phase has ended.

The largest change I have noticed is the overall texture of my skin. There is a supple plumpness to my skin now and I also am beginning to see changes in the skin under my eyes and on my forehead.

I quickly saw changes in my cheeks and nose first but that seems right considering they are my least problem areas. My chin and forehead are where I have the biggest issues like wrinkles.

So Why a Retinol.

I looked at a lot of products before deciding that I wanted to start using a retinol. They can definitely be somewhat controversial with skin care as to their benefits. I settled on a retinol because of the long-term studies done that show improvement in skin texture, overall appearance and also helping uneven skin tones. Added benefits are that a good retinol will reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles and also help prevent further lines and wrinkles.

I am not against getting Botox eventually but I would like to keep it off for as long as possible, For now a retinol seemed like the way to go.

I am always open to trying new products so if you have something you want me to try this would be a great time to make a suggestion. You can always email me at wefivekings@gmail.com.

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Disclaimer

I occasionally partner with brands and companies to review a product. Compensation is provided on a case by case basis. I am also a member of affiliate programs that provide commission based on purchases made on links within some of my posts. All of these opinions are 100% mine as I choose to only partner with companies that align with my personal brand.